


They Say It's Beautiful, We Know the Truth

by IceBlueRose



Series: Don't Know Just Where I'm Going [8]
Category: Adam Lambert (Musician), American Idol RPF, Kris Allen (Musician)
Genre: Alternative Universe - High School, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-03-21
Updated: 2011-03-21
Packaged: 2017-10-17 04:35:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,076
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/172958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IceBlueRose/pseuds/IceBlueRose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kris swallowed and bit down on the inside of his cheek to keep from breaking down as he nodded. He didn’t say anything as Adam stared at him for another moment before he turned and walked away.</p>
            </blockquote>





	They Say It's Beautiful, We Know the Truth

Kris paused, his thoughts of his date in a couple of days interrupted when Adam slammed into him, wrapping his arms around Kris in one of his typical ‘I’m so happy to see you that I have to squeeze you to death’ hugs. He laughed and glanced up at Adam.

“Um, hi?”

Adam grinned. “Sorry,” he said, not sounding sorry at all. “I’m just in a good mood today.”

Kris shook his head. “I hadn’t noticed,” he teased, reaching out to poke Adam in the side. “What’s got you in a good mood?”

Shrugging, Adam began to walk backwards so that he was facing Kris. “I don’t know. I just am.” He raised an eyebrow. “What about you? You’ve been looking pretty happy today.”

Kris smiled. “I just am,” he said.

“Oh, clever, using my own words against me.”

Kris laughed. “Yeah, that’s me. More clever than the average bear.”

“Mixing up your pop culture, Kristopher. Everyone knows it’s smarter than the average bear.”

“Clever people like to mix it up a little.”

Adam snorted as they began to walk. “Anyway, I noticed you didn’t have your car today.”

Kris fought down the feeling to grin like an idiot. He was not going to start acting like a moron just because Adam had noticed something about him. He was over that phase.

Or, well, he was supposed to be. It was a work in progress.

“I told Daniel he could use it. He’s got a girl he wants to take out so I’m walking today.”

Adam nodded. “Feel like having company for the rest of the walk?” He shrugged off of Kris’s look. “Mine’s sitting at home because I need to get a new starter for it. I’d have caught up to you sooner but I had to drop crap off in my locker.”

Kris frowned. “Did I know that? Because I’m pretty sure I’d have offered to give you a ride—“ Christ, he was picking up Adam’s habit of saying things that were just full of innuendo.

“Nah,” Adam replied, completely missing the way that Kris had paused. “I like walking. Helps keep me in shape.”

Kris rolled his eyes. “Like you need to.”

“Despite what you and Katy say, yes, I do. You guys are biased.” Adam shifted his bag to his other shoulder as they rounded the corner, nearing the point where Kris knew they’d have to go separate directions. “So, hey are you busy Friday? I thought we could hang out, have a movie night, play some of those video games you love so much.”

Kris froze, his stomach clenching as he stumbled.

“Whoa,” Adam reached out and put a hand on his arm, steadying him, “watch out.” He glanced back. “Though how you managed to trip over thin air is a mystery to me. But I think you could, I don’t know, market it as a talent.” He turned back to Kris. “You okay?”

Kris nodded, feeling slightly sick as he thought of what was coming next. “Yeah, I’m fine,” he said. “But, um, about Friday night, I can’t do it.” Adam wouldn’t ask, Kris knew that. He’d be dying to but he’d keep quiet, just in case it was something that Kris couldn’t or wouldn’t talk about. Still, Kris knew if he didn’t do it now, he’d continue to find excuses not to tell Adam. He’d continue to build it all up in his head until it felt impossible to do.

It was better to just do it.

Kris lifted a shoulder. “I’ve, uh, I’ve got a date on Friday.”

Adam brightened and grinned. “Yeah? Who’s the girl? You finally ask Katy out?”

Oh God, Kris really wanted to throw up. “Um, no, it’s not Katy.” He shifted, pulling away from Adam slightly, fiddling with the strap of his backpack, and glanced over at the park that signaled the two needing to split up so that they could go home. He took a deep breath. “It’s Jared. Um, Jared Padalecki.”

Adam stared at him and Kris could practically see the pieces falling into place. “Jared,” he said.

Kris nodded slowly and shoved a hand into his pocket so that Adam wouldn’t be able to see his hand clenching into a fist, nails digging into his skin to keep him from reaching out. “Yeah, Jared.” He took another deep breath. “I’m gay.”

Adam took a step back and Kris felt like dying right there. “You’re…Jesus Christ, Kris.” Adam shook his head, jaw clenched and, oh God, Kris had just ruined everything. “I can’t even—“ He took another step back, in the direction of his house. “I gotta go.”

Kris swallowed and bit down on the inside of his cheek to keep from breaking down as he nodded. He didn’t say anything as Adam stared at him for another moment before he turned and walked away. Kris watched until Adam had reached the corner at the end of the street and then he turned in the direction that they’d just come from and began to run in the direction of Katy’s house. He didn’t need to check street signs, he knew the way to her place as well as he knew the way to his own and he couldn’t remember a time he was more grateful for that.

Breathing hard, he ran up her walkway and knocked on the door a few times. He could feel the tears building and part of him wanted to scream because he never cried.

“Hey,” Katy said, voice bright as she opened the door. “I just got here so you lucked...what’s wrong?” Katy’s smile faded. “Kris?”

Kris forced himself to swallow passed the lump in his throat. “I told Adam,” he choked out.

Katy’s eyes widened and she pulled him inside, immediately leading him to her room and shutting the door. Kris dropped his bag to the floor and dropped down onto her bed, covering his face. “The look on his face...”

“I’m so sorry,” Katy said, wrapping her arms around him. “I thought...” She didn’t finish, not that she needed to, Kris knew what she’d thought. She’d thought that Adam would be fine with it and he could hear the faint traces of anger in her voice even as she rubbed a hand down his back and told him that everything would be eventually be okay.

Kris shuddered and buried his face against her shoulder and wished he believed that she was right.


End file.
